Coreopsis plant named &#39;Cherry Lemonade&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Coreopsis  plant named ‘Cherry Lemonade’ characterized by yellow foliage, red flowers, and a dwarf habit.

Cross reference to: co-pending applications for Coreopsis ‘Pink Lemonade’ (U.S. application Ser. No. 11/343,831 and ‘Strawberry Lemonade’ (U.S. application Ser. No. 11/344,356)

Botanical designation: Coreopsis hybrid (parents unknown)

Variety denomination: ‘Cherry Lemonade’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct plant of Coreopsis and given the cultivar name ‘Cherry Lemonade’. Coreopsis is in the family Asteraceae. This new cultivar originated from offspring located at the nursery in Canby, Oregon and reproduced in tissue culture where further selections were made. This selection was made for its cherry red flowers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Cherry Lemonade’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Cherry Lemonade’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   1. Golden yellow foliage. -   2. Unique red daisy type flowers. -   3. Dwarf mounding habit. -   4. Very free flowering.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The photograph shows a one year old Coreopsis ‘Cherry Lemonade’ growing in the ground in the field in August in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Coreopsis cultivar based on observations of a one-year-old specimen grown in a container in the greenhouse over the winter and then planted on May 1 in the ground in the trial fields in full sun. The data was taken in August from this material. The trial fields are under typical outdoor conditions in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 9 to 10.         -   Size.—40 cm wide and 25 cm tall to top of flowers.         -   Form.—Low mound with freely branching stems.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, freely branching, fine and white in color.             Roots develop easily from cuttings. -   Stem:     -   -   Type.—Ascending.         -   Size.—20 cm tall and 1 to 2 mm wide.         -   Internode length.—12 to 30 mm.         -   Surface.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—Yellow Green 146C. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Shape.—Linear.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Length.—25 to 40 mm, sessile.         -   Width.—1 to 2 mm.         -   Margins.—Entire.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous, soft and smooth to the touch.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Top side— Yellow, Yellow 10A with a green main vein             Yellow Green 146C to Yellow Green 146A where shaded Bottom—             same as top side. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Long stalked terminal heads of daisy type flowers.         -   Peduncle.—7 cm tall and 1 mm wide, glabrous, Yellow 10A to             Yellow Green 146C where shaded.         -   Bud.—Oval in shape, 3.5 mm long and 3 mm wide, glabrous,             Green 147A on the bottom half, Greyed Yellow 161A on top             half with Greyed Red 183A at the tip and in the seams.         -   Size.—2.5 to 3.5 cm wide and 8 mm deep.         -   Rayflorets.—No pistil or stamen Number— 8 Shape: Obovate             with the tip three toothed with tooth's obtuse, base             attenuate Size: Grows to 17 mm long, 8 mm wide Surface             texture: Glabrous, soft and velvety to the touch Color: Ray             floret, topside— Closest to 59A but deeper in color Ray,             bottom side— Greyed Purple 187B.         -   Disc.—Shape: Conic, deeper with maturity Size: 7 mm wide and             becoming 5 mm deep with maturity Color: Brown 200B when in             bud, opening to orange, Orange 24A with a dark background,             Greyed Purple 187A.         -   Disc florets.—About 45 in number, 5 mm long and 1 mm wide,             tubular, 4 lobed, Greyed Purple 187A at the apex to Orange             24A in middle and Yellow Orange 20B near base. Pistil— 1 in             number, 6 mm long, Orange 24A overall, extruding, 2-branched             stigma, ovary 1.5 mm long, style 4 mm long Stamen— 4,             filaments 3 mm long, extruding, Black 202A Pollen color—             Yellow 12C.         -   Phyllaries.—In two series, inner series opaque, 8 in number,             rotate, Green 148A on the bottom half, Greyed Orange 164B on             top half, each 4 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, ovate lanceolate,             acute, entire, glabrous; outer series leafy, usually 5 in             number, campanulate, each lobe 1.5 mm long and 1 mm wide,             Yellow Green 147A with clear margins, ovate, entire, acute,             glabrous.         -   Receptacle.—Green 147A, conic, 2 mm long, and 2 mm wide,             glabrous.         -   Bloom period.—June through September in Canby, Oreg.         -   Fragrance.—Light, daisy like.         -   Lastingness.—Each bloom lasts about five days. -   Seed: None produced     -   -   Fertility.—Infertile. -   Disease and pests: Coreopsis are susceptible to mildew and fungal     spots. None of these have been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg.

COMPARISONS TO SIMILAR COREOPSIS

Compared to Coreopsis ‘Limerock Ruby’ (US Plant Patent Application No. 20030066114), this new cultivar has the same flower size but has red flowers rather than rose, a much shorter habit, and yellow foliage rather than green. 

1. A new and distinct Coreopsis plant as herein illustrated and described. 